


Failing Code

by PolarGrizz47



Category: Halo (Video Games) & Related Fandoms, Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Artificial Intelligence, Based off of the Halo universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-30
Updated: 2017-04-14
Packaged: 2018-07-19 03:33:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7343095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PolarGrizz47/pseuds/PolarGrizz47
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack’s systems were finally failing. After over six years of constant use and processing, his finely crafted life expectancy was spent.</p><p>His blue and gold hologram occasionally flickered to red and black, his voice garbling and random bits of info slipping through his friendly persona. Gabriel tried to shrug it off, pretend that he wasn’t panicking on the inside.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Beginning of the End

**Author's Note:**

> Very very unedited. I've been tangoing with my writing muse and wrote this.  
> I wasn't going to post it but a few of my buddies said it was actually O.K?? (and you guys need to suffer AI feels with me.)
> 
> For those of you who have played the Halo series, imagine Jack as Cortana and Gabe as Master Chief.

“Sure you’ll be able to hack your way into this?” Commander Reyes grunted while bracing himself against the wall, reloading the twin shotguns with terrifying deftness. Black armor shined in the blue glow of the AI, revealing a skull scratched onto the helmet's faceplate and an old, worn Overwatch symbol on the chest piece of the hefty armor. 

“Psh,” The hologram hissed, waving a hand and focusing once more on the task of cracking the vault open. “This is  _ easy.” _

Gabriel found himself staring, the AI handcrafted by Doctor Zeliger and Winston striking an impressive figure, even if he could fit snugly in the palm of the Commander’s gloved hand. Blue and gold twined together to create a strange life like version of a living human. But Jack wasn’t living. He was a sea of complex codes and numbers, adapting every second, developing itself more as time went on.

Jack - the seventy-sixth attempt on creating a fully functioning artificial intelligence program suited for battle - was just a tool to be used. He was designed specifically for fighting against the rising omnic war and Commander Reyes had been lucky enough to be chosen as his handler. 

They sent Gabriel charging into battle like the swift killing machine he was, fully equipped to destroy most any obstacle, and fitted with Jack to offer advice and intel all the while. 

That had been four years ago, and the war was still raging on. Many of his old team members had gone offline, either declared M.I.A or K.I.A. It wasn’t easy hearing about their demises months later, but Gabriel was growing attuned to living alone.

Fighting alone. He didn’t even feel human anymore beneath all the armor and the pure skill that had been trained into him since before the war even began. He was a soldier. A Commander without anyone to lead.

A lone wolf sent on suicide missions.

But with Jack crafted at his side, he felt a little less  _ alone _ .

“Tick tock,” He grumbled, peeking out from his cover to watch as several omnic soldiers lay crumpled on the ground from where he’d most recently fought them. He could already hear more clunking down the hall, advancing on their position.

As Reyes placed his finger on the trigger and lined up his sights down the hallway, there was a slow hiss of mechanics unlocking before the AI gave a triumphant cry.

“This old technology is always a little slow. Told you I could do it,” Jack declared proudly, turning to look towards his handler. The way his coat flowed and his eyes lit up were unnerving. Gabriel wonders how long they spent creating Jack’s life-like aesthetics, constantly impressed with their efforts and the outcome. “Yank me,” The hologram intoned, motioning towards the pedestal where the data chip was inserted.

Gabriel followed the order without any fuss, carefully picking up the glowing, blue chip and inserting it into its rightful slot in his helmet. His system recognized Jack immediately, the helmet lighting up for a brief moment before the AI’s voice filled his ears. 

“Better get moving, Commander.”

* * *

 

Jack’s systems were finally failing. After over six years of constant use and processing, his finely crafted life expectancy was spent.

His blue and gold hologram occasionally flickered to red and black, his voice garbling and random bits of info slipping through his friendly persona. Gabriel tried to shrug it off, pretend that he wasn’t  _ panicking _ on the inside.

“We’ll fix this,” He said carefully, staring hard at the failing AI in front of him. The ship’s pedestal projectors captured Jack’s looks in stunning detail, bits of code flashing inside of him if Gabriel stared long enough.

Jack sat curled up, staring at the ship’s mainframe with a lost expression on his features. “I don’t know if we can,” He muttered sadly, turning his searching eyes onto the Commander. “I’ve reached my time stamp. I've expired Gabe, two years overdue.”

“No,” Reyes growled, looming over the pedestal with his hands uselessly clenching at his sides and stomach tying itself into knots. “Angela and Winston can  _ fix this.” _

The AI gave a low laugh, full of sadness and regret. “They’ve been missing for thre͝e y͞e̶a̡rs.”

“I don’t care,” He snapped, heart thudding in his chest, his armor tracking his vitals. “I’ll find them-”

“They probably have another AI ready and waiting for you, Commander… Something better, faster. It’ll be of more use to you t̢h͠an͏ ̕I c҉ou͠l͞d b҉e͞,” Jack held up his hand, looking at the failing code flickering through him. Another glitch sparked through him, his form scattering before reforming with a pained moan.

Gabriel hated the way his heart lurched at the sight, the way he took two steps forwards with open hands as if he could  _ make it better. _ “Jack,” He started, voice soft, gentle even. “I’m not getting another program. Okay? This isn’t over.”

“It is over,” Jack laminated, holding his head in his hands, shaking where he laid. “I’m failing Gabe - don’t you see? I’m putting you at risk now. I-I couldn’t bear it if-”

“I put myself into harm's way willingly. We’re a team, Jack.” Gabriel growled, staring hard at the AI’s image from behind his scratched visor. “And team members don’t leave each other behind.”

Jack tried to smile at him, shaking his head gently as he muttered, “Still as stubborn as ever.”

* * *

 

It was getting steadily worse. Jack was thinking himself to pieces, constantly rambling in different tongues and apologizing profusely all the while. “I-I just càn̢’̨t͞ ̕s̷t͏op ͟i̡t - Gabe,” He’d mutter, voice out of pitch and wobbly. 

“It’s alright,” The commander would soothe, keeping his voice calm and even. “We’ll figure this out.”

“We won’t,” Jack whispered brokenly, voice hollow from inside the man’s helmet. “I’m going r̡a͞m̴pa͟n̡t̸.”

Gabriel's throat felt tight. He couldn’t argue.

Jack’s systems were shaking themselves apart, all the data carefully stored inside now clawing its way out. 

He didn’t want to believe it. After eight years, he couldn’t stand the thought of being without Jack. Alone.

The AI was his constant, the only thing he knew would be there at the end of a battle. They trusted each other, fully, wholeheartedly.

He couldn’t fathom the thought of being alone.

_ Of losing Jack. _

* * *

 

“Ac̛cor̢ding͠ ͘t̵o ̨s͘ećti̸o͝n̨ 3͘.҉V͠.͝12 of th҉e͢ Ov̶e͢r̢wa̧tc҉h҉ ̧ha҉n͜dboơk - a͝ so͟l̢di̡er̢’͟s̕ ͜or̛d̶e͢rs ͞ar̨e̷ ͡absol̡u͜te̷ -͝” Jack muttered offhandedly while he worked on cracking another door open. Gabriel didn’t mention it, merely stood guard with his weapon raised and eyes peeled for any movement. “B-Blocking a soldier from their objectivei̴s ̶c͡on̸si̕d͘ęr͏ed a͡ h̷ei̧no͠u͘s ͝c̶ri̵m̶e, puni̛s̴ha͡b̴ĺe by̢ f͠ine̴s̕ an͞d ̧i̡mpr͢is̷ơnm͝ent.”

Every day Jack’s systems got worse. Every day they came closer to failure due to his corrupting code. 

Gabriel  _ never _ mentioned it, merely clung onto the hope that they’d find Winston or Angela. It’d get better, he was sure of it.

The war raged on.

 


	2. Let Go

The Commander thought he was dead when he’d detonated the bomb in the overrun Overwatch headquarters. With being so close to the explosion, he’d been ready to accept his fate. He’d fought for so long, he’d shed so much blood and lost too much, too soon. And for what? The betterment of a never-ending bloodshed? 

It seemed like a rightful end for his duties to serve.

Instead of the brutal pain and darkness of death, Gabe found himself disoriented and confused, standing atop a floor that seemed _alive_ with a heartbeat made out of processing. His body was slow to respond, head heavy and arms leaden. Trained ears picked up the sound of a breath of data, something he’d heard so many times in his helmet over these battle hardened years.

_ Jack? _

“We’re a team, Commander,” Jack’s voice soothed, clear and concise for the first time in many moons. The blinding, blue light around them hurt his eyes, but the Commander forced himself to peer through his scratched visor, pupils dilating widely despite the light.

What he saw made his heart leap, mind racing as he slowly moved his arms forwards to feel for himself, unconcerned as his movements were strangely weighed down.

There he was. Overwatch’s most complex battle AI to date, a heralded goal for artificial intelligence everywhere. He stood in front of Gabe, reaching a real human height instead of the miniature, convenient size of the older man’s palm.

“...Jack?” Gabe whispered, voice cracking dryly and blood on his lips. 

“It’s okay,” The hologram flickered, his form scattering in fragments of red momentarily, but his voice was soft and clear. “You’re alive, I… I was worried that I didn’t have enough left to - to save you,” He drew closer, voice tittering into a relieved laugh, booted feet making no sound against the ground that swirled below them strangely. 

Jack’s eyes looked so much real up close, golden flecks of data swirling in those finely constructed blue irises. Gabe blinked to clear his head, his thoughts soon racing to keep up with the reality of his situation. He grasped at straws desperately, unsure of what had happened. Why hadn't he been torn to shreds in the explosion? 

“Save me?” Reyes stood straighter, hands clenching empty at his sides, feeling vulnerable without a weapon in his clutches. His eyes tracked the walls, then the vast ceiling of the blue walls around them. Golden rushes of data momentarily disrupted the soothing color like blood in a system of veins, as if the area was  _ alive _ . “Where… are we?”

Jack merely shook his head, smiling at Gabe openly. It was only then that Gabe noticed that the AI’s armor, designed to match that of Overwatch’s soldiers, was melting away from the hologram’s frame. Reyes stepped closer, heart hammering in his chest with worry and anxiety. 

“Jack, what’s happening to you?” He whispered urgently, reaching out to touch at the armor himself, surprised as it merely flecked away into small particles of data and scattered into the air, carried by some unfelt breeze. Underneath the armor, the AI wore a tight, dark blue material, cut into the shape of a shirt. It glowed brightly with a thrum of gold, reminding Gabe of a heartbeat, the golden hue starting in Jack’s chest and spreading throughout his body within seconds. “Jack, talk to me,” Gabe muttered, licking the taste of iron from his mouth.

The AI moved closer, a newly bared hand raised, fingers outstretched. Gabe stood perfectly still when the man’s fingers brushed against his helmet’s side, an illusion of touching his flesh cheek. “Oh, Gabe,” Jack breathed, his smile bright and  _ perfect _ . “I’m so happy you’re alive.”

The Commander stood there stiffly, unsure of what to do, feeling too scared to return the touch for fear of crumbling his companion’s body even more. But he felt elated, strangely excited by the simple, sweet gesture Jack had given him.

He struggled to find his voice, so lost in Jack’s beautiful, thankful features. Gabe’s brows drew together for a moment, replying Jack’s melodious voice in his head.

With a shake of his head, Gabe corrected, “ _ We’re _ alive.”

Jack’s sweet smile shifted just enough to appear pitying, sad. “We did it. We kept them from collecting Overwatch’s data, we protected the battle, our people,” He looked to his side, analyzing the living walls that encased them. “We saved our war, Commander. But… casualties are a reality.”

“What do you mean?” Gabe rushed out, tripping over his own tongue. “Jack, we need to get back -”

“I can’t join you, not this time.” The AI intoned, voice broken and absolute.

Reye’s gut sank, hands clenching at his sides. “Jack…” His tone demanded an explanation, commanding and worried.

Jack took a step back, motioning to himself. “I only saved enough of myself to protect  _ you _ . Overwatch’s headquarter’s was failing, I had to link myself with Athene’s systems to garnish enough processing to help you… but there’s nothing left. My chip, my code? It’s gone… lost in the explosion.”

“No,” The Commander growled, “No, Jack. We stick  _ together _ , I’m not leaving you.”

The hologram flickered again, and Gabe felt the floor underneath them crack. Jack looked freshly pained, and Gabe felt  _ useless _ . “You have to, Gabe… there’s not enough left here for you.”

“ _You_ are plenty,” Reyes admitted, voice thick with worry. He looked at the AI, stepping closer with a shake of his head, “Please, Jack… I’m not...don't  _leave_ _me_.” His voice cracked, his head hung low.

Jack let Gabe stand close, looking up into the man’s visor with a heartbroken little smile. “I’ll miss you, Gabe. I’m… I’m sorry.” The AI hurried forwards, arms coming around to embrace the Commander. Gabe swore that he could feel his burning touch through all the layers of protective, scarred armor. Reyes’ hands quickly came around Jack desperately, clinging to him like a lifeline. Jack’s voice was but a whisper as he said his final goodbye, “It was an honor serving with you, Gabriel.”

The floor cracked under Gabe’s weight, and with a pained grunt, Reye’s  _ felt _ as Jack’s entire form shivered into particles and vanished like melting snow. The data vanished from between his fingertips, and Reyes recognized the stab of emptiness as it spears through him.

The blue room collapsed in on itself, and Gabe found himself growing increasingly light-headed, his own knees hitting the ground as he faded into a mourning unconscious.

* * *

“I found him!” Angela’s voice shouted, sounding far away to Gabe’s ears. There was the sensation of something pulling at his armor, at the debris from the explosion that kept him trapped, then a flash of bright, blue light. It reminded Gabe of  _ Jack _ , but he didn’t have enough energy to fight against the pull of sleep. At least in his dreams, the AI could still soothe him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me, sitting near the flaming trash pit that is Overwatch, with pina colada in hand.
> 
> Unbeta'ed, written late, kinda spur of the moment. 
> 
> Anyways, I tacked on some stuff onto this AU because ... I finished playing Halo 4 again and it STILL HURTS. 
> 
> Comments appreciated. <3
> 
> (before y'alls get too confused: Gabe destroys the OW HQ. Jack uses the last of his energy to create a sort of a living shield that protects Gabe from the worse of the explosion, and gives them enough time to say goodbye)

**Author's Note:**

> Poor Jack and Gabe :C
> 
> If you guys want, I'd love it if you left me some comments. Hope to post more soon, sorry for all these delays. I've been having a shitty go at life right now for some reasons... *sigh*
> 
> Some of Jack's text appears all glitchy. That is intentional! Imagine his voice wobbling out of focus and being all over the place as his code rips itself apart. :)
> 
> You'll see this changes in later chapters, too!


End file.
